Aditi Bhagwat

Profile

Aditi's musical journey began very early in life. She inherited her keen sense of music and rhythm from her mother Smt. Ragini Bhagwat who is a trained classical singer and who dedicated most of her time listening to music and making every note perfect. Aditi carried this tradition further after starting to learn the classical dance at a tender age of 4 years. She began rigorous training in the Jaipur style of"Kathak" dance under Padmashri Dr.Roshan Kumari with strict discipline and ethics. She has also received the able guidance of Kathak exponent Smt. Nandita Puri and Tabla doyen Shri Yogesh Samsi. Having secured a masters in Psychology, Aditi did her masters in Kathak dance from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya. She is an A graded artist of the Doordarshan Kendra and impanelled with the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. She has received the title of "Nalanda Nritya Nipun" from the Nalanda Dance and Research Academy, Mumbai. Besides Kathak, Aditi takes special interest in performing the Marathi folk dance Lavani. She also received training in "Odissi" by Smt. Jhelum Paranjpe and owes her grooming in Abhinaya (expressions) and graceful posture to Odissi.

Indian music permits the freedom to explore as long as the artist stays within the discipline of the structure of music. Aditi follows the same norms while performing but given an opportunity she has always tried to explore and cross, traditional borders and create newer limits in her art form. With a strong foothold in traditional Kathak dance, she has tried to experiment with the traditions of Jazz and world music. Her first collaborative venture was with Jazz maestro Louiz Banks, ace percussionist Sivamani and music composer Merlin D'souza from India. She performed at the Budapest Spring Festival for the Indo-Gypsy Jazz project with pianist Bela Szakcsi Lakatos in Hungary, Kathak and Electronic music collaboration with the band Kartik and Gotam: Business Class Refugees in France and for The Issue Project with New York based pianist Rod Williams. She has gracefully blend the stylized gestures of Kathak and the sophisticated rhythm of the Tatkaar, Chakkradhars and different Taals with varying time cycles with instruments like the Djembe, Drums, Ghumbri, Cuatro, Sarode, Sitar and many more.

Aditi participated in the fellowship program "Onebeat" produced by Bang on a Can's Found Sound Nation (NY) and initiated by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in September 2012. She had the opportunity to collaborate with 32 musicians from 21different countries to create and perform new music and explore possibilities of expanding traditional norms of art. Aditi featured as a 'foot percussionist' from India and successfully blend the sound of the Ghungroos and her stomping feet with the diverse musical instruments. Through this fellowship, Aditi delved into the possibility of using the Ghungroos as an instrument and weaving them in rhythmic patterns with myriad instruments like the Gayageum, Cuatro, Banjo and Ghumbri.

"FlamencoKathaa" is one of Aditi's new collaborations with first Indian male Flamenco dancer Kunal Om. Together they have presented this collaboration at the 104th national Science Congress, Global Isai Music fetsival and Marico evenings cultural program.

Aditi recently co-produced an international short film titled “aarsa” which is officially selected at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival, Phoenix Film Festival, New York Indian Film Festival, Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, 7th dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival and the Inside Out Toronto LGBTQ Film Festival.

The admirers of Aditi's talent saw another side her personality as a dancer/actor in the Hindi movies “Traffic Signal” and "Myoho" and in several regional Marathi films like "Chalu Nawara Bholi Bayko", "Dombivli Fast", "Sumbaran" and television shows like "Avantika", "Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki" and "Eka Peksha Ek".

Aditi believes that Indian traditional art forms can never reach extinction if the newer, younger generation is motivated towards learning these art forms and she has been investing her time in creating new promising dancers for the future. In her institute "ADA" (Aditi Dance Academy), Aditi trains young, promising talent to develop a liking towards traditional art forms and thereby cherish the age old culture that India is proud of. She has extended this effort to countries like the US, where she has been conducting workshops and Lecture/Demonstrations in Kathak and Indian folk forms for the Indian and American population.

Aditi deeply loves and respects the rich cultural heritage that our country is adorned with. She is indebted to her Gurus for introducing her to this beautiful culture of Kathak dance and classical music.